Indiana 'peanut hot line' swamped with recall queries

February 19, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS -- As of Wednesday, a toll-free telephone number had taken more than 900 calls in less than two days from people interested in peanut items that have been recalled because they might contain salmonella. The Indiana State Health Department established the toll-free number Monday. It says people can call (877) 499-0017 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. More than 2,200 peanut-containing products are included in a recall by Peanut Corp. of America of products processed at a plant in Georgia since Jan. 1, 2007. Texas health officials ordered the company last week to also recall all products shipped from a Texas plant since March 2005. The health agency says Indiana has had nine confirmed cases linked to the salmonella outbreak. The recall list also is available at www.fda.gov.